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Ch. 81 An Invisible Enemy
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
Cara AndersonThank you for reading!
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Dillon’s POV My eyes blinked open against the rays of light streaming in the window. My limbs felt like lead weights, a heaviness in them that made the thought of moving seem nearly impossible. I managed to stretch my arm to the side, reaching for Zoe. But instead of cool sheets, I felt the rougher ridges of the chenille sofa. Did I fall asleep on the couch? Why didn’t Zoe wake me up to come to bed? “Zo? Baby doll, you up?” My voice sounded scratchy, my throat unusually dry. When she didn’t answer, I pushed myself into a sitting position with a strained groan, my body refusing to cooperate. Getting to my feet proved even more of an ordeal, my head spinning and a wave of nausea hitting me when I did. Something was very wrong. “Dorian? Dorian!” I nudged at my groggy wolf who responded with little more than a grunt. Looking around the room, I was trying to get my bearings when my eyes landed on the glass sitting on the coffee table. The last thing I remembered was Zoe bringing m
A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Ch. 83 It's Time
Dillon’s POV “Zoe! Fuck! Zoe, wake up! Come on baby doll. We’re not done yet. Wake the fuck up!” I pleaded with my mate’s limp form. Hanging lifelessly in my arms. She wasn’t dead. I could hear the sluggish thud of her heart, struggling to maintain a steady cadence. She was alive, but just. “Please, baby doll! I promise I’m not mad. If you just wake up, I won’t even mention you leaving me. We never have to talk about it again. Just come back to me!” I pleaded but she didn’t stir. “Noooo! Fuck! Please, Goddess! Don’t take her from me!” I held her tightly to my chest and sobbed into her hair. The fear of losing her had been the thing that spurred me into action when I first realized she’d gone. But now it paralyzed me. I knew I needed to do something. She was dying in my arms while I sat helplessly on the ground and let her life ebb away. I just didn’t know how to fix it, fix her. We were hours from home or any kind of help. If the pools of blood on the ground were any indi
A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Ch. 84 Careful What You Wish For
Ryan’s POV It’s time. My Beta’s words reverberated through my skull, bouncing like the metal ball in a pinball machine and the resulting pain was what it must feel like when bone shattered into tiny shards. If that pain had been merely physical, it would have been easily ignored. But this pain was soul-crushing. It was the pain only a man about to lose everything that made life worth living could experience. I risked a glance at my twin who wore a more stoic expression compared to my twisted and tortured grimace. I knew he was trying to be strong for our Luna. My eyes drifted to Kat, my angel, whose face burned with righteous indignation. She was the strongest person I’d ever known, one who didn’t waste time bemoaning the cruelties in life but just got on with doing her part to right them. Fuck whoever did this to her, to us. Maybe the Moon Goddess. Maybe the Fae deity. Maybe both. I wasn’t sure who to blame but that was a mystery to solve later. If there was a later. First
A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Ch. 85 Selene's Weapon
Dillon’s POV My wolf never ceased to amaze me when it came to the lengths he would go to for our mate. What I felt for Zoe defied comprehension. I would give every last drop of blood, sweat, and tears to keep her safe, to make her happy. But my wolf would find strength beyond imagination when it came to protecting her. That was the only possible explanation for how I found myself carrying Zoe into the infirmary in half the time it had taken to get to her in the first place. Dorian had run at breakneck speed, his paws barely touching the ground, giving new meaning to the phrase “run like the wind.” It shouldn’t have been possible, but for Zoe he made it so. Dorian faded away the second we reached the front doors, panting heavily then drifting into a deep slumber. I rushed Zoe inside, in all my naked glory, no thought for anything other than getting help for my mate. “Somebody help! I need help over here!” I shouted, my feet slapping on the cold tile as I ran through the hall.
A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Ch. 86 Unexpected Development
Dillon’s POV Whoever coined the phrase “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” had clearly never met two Alphas whose mate had just run headlong into almost certain death. I feared for the life of the fae warriors who’d trapped them in their whirlwind cocoons. When they were eventually released, hell would definitely come to call. I watched helplessly as they thrashed and clawed at the spiraling walls of air surrounding them, only to be thrown back into the calm center with every attempt to escape. My own torment at being unable to protect my mate was too fresh to be ignorant of theirs. I felt their anguish, their soul-shattering pain through our bond of brotherhood just as I’m sure they had felt mine. Unable to help my Alphas, I skirted the Fae to reach the other Alphas watching in astonishment from the front line, their heads on a swivel, unsure where to look. I shared their ambivalence, needing to track my Luna while unwilling to abandon my Alphas at the same time. “Who is
A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Ch. 87 Ryder
Zoe’s POV I felt like my head had been forced under water, fighting against the current, and I was just now floating back to the surface. I could hear voices in the distance, but they sounded too far away to hold any interest for me. I wanted to stay in my peaceful dream just a while longer. Selene had visited me again. Or more accurately, she’d brought me to visit her. I’d come to love the beautiful garden where she always met me. I wasn’t sure if it was a real place that she inhabited or just a figment of my imagination but it was so serene there. If it weren’t for my friends and family, I might want to stay forever. “Congratulations, Zoe!” She’d worn a huge, radiant smile and clapped her hands excitedly when I approached. “You played your part perfectly, just as I foresaw it. I’m so proud of you, my little she-wolf!” She applauded me like a director might praise his leading movie star. But when I pushed for more, she grew tight-lipped again. “Does that mean it was enough
A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Ch. 88 The Power Of Three
Zoe’s POV I’d tried to get Dillon to tell me more about the war that wasn’t, but he refused. We’d been invited to the Alpha residence later and he asked me to wait to hear the story when we’d gathered with all our friends, saying he had a feeling Kat would want to tell me herself. I had a feeling it was his way of putting me off to avoid stressing me and the baby. But it did nothing to assuage my need to know every last element of what I’d missed. It just wouldn’t seem real until I heard it recounted in excruciating detail. So by the time we found ourselves on their front door later that night, I was about to crawl out of my skin with curiosity. “Zoe!” Kat cried and pulled me into a hug when she opened the door. “Thank Goddess you’re okay! I was so worried!” “We all were, jelly bean.” Zayne snatched me from Kat’s grasp and wrapped me in a crushing hug. “Can’t. Breathe.” I coughed dramatically. “Let her go!” Dillon said a little too testily but backed off when I assured him I wa
A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Ch. 89 Happily Ever After
Zoe’s POV I jumped on Dillon as soon as we left the car, wrapping my arms and legs around him and attacking his mouth. He chuckled against my lips but responded enthusiastically, kissing me passionately. He carried me in the house, never breaking the kiss. We’d called this cabin Rachael had gifted to us “home” many times over the last few months, but it had never seemed permanent. Something was different as we entered this time, as if I could see our future unfolding here, because now I knew we had one to look forward to. And that thought made my need for the man in my arms even stronger. A new energy buzzed in the air around us, as if the burning embers of our bond had finally caught flame, burning brighter than ever. I’d thought I’d allowed myself to love Dillon with everything I had, but now I realized there’d been a tiny piece of me I’d held back. A piece of me hadn’t believed we’d survive to see this day, one where our enemies no longer haunted us, and hadn’t let myself hope
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A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Author's Note
Hello Lovely Readers! Once again I want to thank you all for supporting my work! I hope you enjoyed reading A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret and The Warrior's Wild Mate as much as I did writing them. I may not have time to respond to every comment and review, but I read them all and take every word to heart. So if you have time, please let me know what you though, either in the review or comments section. I would appreciate it so much! As for what comes next, I will be working on The Legends of Glass Lake Series which will focus on the next generation of the Glass Lake as well as their friends and allies' children. Book one is still untitled but will focus on Mason Cross and Elena Stone as well as introducing new characters. I hope to begin publishing the first few chapters in early January and hope you'll join me for the ride. That's a wrap for Derek and Julia. For now. We'll see them again soon! Much love, Cara
A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Epilogue
Julia’s POV 5 Years Later “Hurry up! We’re going to be late!” I called to Derek, trying to rush him along. Kat, Reegan and Ryan were holding a birthday party for their two year old son Liam and we were running behind as usual. With our own two year old and four year old, going anywhere as a family was a lot like herding cats. Everyone was either moving in different directions or refusing to move at all. Currently, it was the latter. “I can’t get Lexi off the toilet, sweetness.” Derek’s exasperated voice called back. We were potty-training our daughter and Derek loved to say she was a typical woman, once you got her in the bathroom you couldn’t get her out. I crept down the hall to check on their progress and had to choke back a laugh at the conversation they were having. “Please, Lexi-Lou, show dada what a big girl you are! As soon as you go potty in the toilet, we can go to Liam’s party and you can have cake and ice cream!” He bargained. “But, I not a big girl, dada. I your b
A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Ch. 22
Julia’s POV Pain seared through the raw nerves where Derek’s fangs pierced my neck. Marking was usually done in the heat of passion, a pleasurable distraction from the pain, but Derek hadn’t waited for that and I couldn’t care less. I loved that he was so desperate to make me his, he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into me. The sharp sting was a reminder that he was really there and I was really his, that it hadn’t all been a wonderful yet finite dream. But the pain went as quickly as it had come, mutating into a sensual thrill that ignited my lust while turning my bones to jelly. Derek groaned in pleasure as our bond solidified, pulling me tighter against him to hold me up as my knees weakened beneath me. A long languorous moan fell from my lips as Derek swirled his tongue over his mark. Then suddenly, a whirlwind of love, devotion, lust, and a fierce possessiveness hit me square in the chest, knocking the air from my lungs. I’d believed Derek when he’d said he loved me, but this
A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Ch. 21
Derek’s POV The drive back to Glass Lake territory was the longest of my life! With every passing mile, a new worry assaulted me. Winning Julia back was far from a sure thing. I still didn’t know if she really slept with Eric. The thought of him putting his hands on her luscious body or sticking his cock in her tight, hot pussy infuriated me! But it also scared the shit out of me, because if she did fuck him, it meant she had already moved on. Julia Kane was stunningly gorgeous, fiercely loyal, and stubborn as hell. If she decided she was done with me, there would be no changing her mind. The thought of her slamming the door in my face left me equal parts terrified and depressed as fuck. A future without her felt so bleak, cold and empty. But the more I thought about it, the more dejected I became. If she’d been the one to find her mate, and agreed to give him a chance so easily, let me walk away without a fight, I’m not sure I would have given her another chance either. B
A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Ch. 20
Derek’s POV Eric’s taunt sent me into a red fucking rage! I wanted to slice his dick off with my claws and shove it down his fucking throat. Julia was mine! MINE! And nobody fucking touched her but me! I suspected they’d slept together in the past and the thought of them doing it again gutted me. I’d put everything she’d done before me out of my mind, just like she’d done for me. But Julia Kane had carved her name on my heart, branded it on my soul, and nobody else could have her now! “Derek, stop!” Julia screamed, stepping in front of Eric. “It’s okay, sunshine.” Eric chuckled, wrapping an arm around her torso. “He’s so pissed he can’t see straight. I doubt he could land a hit if he tried.” “Not helping!” Julia hissed at him over her shoulder. “Step back and cool off!” Damien barked, his steadying hand on my shoulder. I was fucking furious and my chest heaved violently. I balled my fists at my sides, trying to restrain my beast but my body swayed in Eric’s direction. My
A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Ch. 19
Julia’s POV “So you come out here everyday to collect samples?” I asked Trista as we tramped through the forest together. She was explaining her research on forest sustainability and showing me how she collected test samples to see how different trees and plants responded to different fertilization compounds. It was part of her postdoctoral work and way over my head but still fascinating. Although I had to admit, listening to her enthusiasm for the subject left me feeling a little left behind. Zoe had left for college right after high school and Kat had midwife training. Trista was well on her way to saving our habitat and I was still deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up. That thought led me to wonder what Amber’s aspirations were. Was she going to college? Did she have plans to do something important with her life, medical research like Zoe or maybe become a doctor? Was she smarter than me? From there I found myself diving head first down the rabbit hole of all the
A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Ch. 18
Derek’s POV “Fuck man! I don’t know what to say.” Dillon had ceased trying to strangle me to death and had moved on to pacing a hole in the office floor. “I mean she’s my sister. I can’t stand the thought of her heartbroken and alone. But after finding Zoe, I know what it’s like to meet your fated mate. I could never expect you to give that up.” “Amber, could you please excuse us. I’d like to talk with the Gamma alone for a minute.” I tried asking nicely with little hope it would get me very far. “Oh no! Absolutely not! I’m your mate. There is nothing you can’t say in front of me.” She actually stamped her foot at the end of that little speech. “Of course, I can say it. I just don’t want to!” I explained, grabbing her arm and dragging her toward the door. “:Let’s go, princess.” “What? No!” She squawked in protest. “You’re my mate! You can’t tell me no! That’s not how it’s supposed to work!” She whined the whole way but I wasn’t giving in. Once I managed to deposit her outsi
A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Ch. 17
Derek’s POV I was losing my ever-loving shit! How could she be moving on already? Out partying, dancing, smiling like she wasn’t missing me at all. Meanwhile, I was so twisted up in knots, I couldn’t think straight. And what the fuck did she mean by ‘fucking someone isn’t the same as getting to know them’? Who’s fucking who? She couldn’t possibly think I was fucking Amber. I knew it happened often with fated mates but surely not when they were already in love with someone else. I owed it to myself and Amber to get to know her, Just like Jules told me to do. But she couldn’t possibly think I’d get over what we had and hop into bed with Amber that quickly. Okay sure. That’s who I used to be. But that was before Julia Kane came along and turned my world upside down. I was a different person now and even if things didn’t work out with Julia and me, I wasn’t sure I could ever go back to being that guy. Not when I knew how disappointed she would be in me. That thought made me sick
A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret Ch. 16
Julia’s POV “I think I'm going to visit Forest Trails for a few days. I met Trista the last time she and her Alpha were here and I really liked her.” I was sitting in the living room of the cabin my brother and Zoe had moved into, trying to stop my turmoil from leaking through our sibling bond. Based on the way Dillon was watching me like he would a wounded animal, I wasn't sure I was succeeding. Zoe gave me a knowing look, but thankfully said nothing to my brother about the suspicions I saw shining in her eyes. “It’s been weeks since they were here and you never said a word. Why now?” Dillon’s tone was accusatory, telling me he’d already sniffed out my ulterior motives. “”Hmm?” I put a finger on my chin in a pensive expression. “Maybe because you’re all mated up and hiding from the rest of the world.” He shot me a beleaguered look. One that said he did not appreciate my snarky attitude. Zoe giggled at his put upon expression but instead of the same exasperated huff I got fr
